Breaking Point in Blue
by Objective Mistress
Summary: Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to Rhapsody in Red and Mystery on the Republic City Express] Noir AU
1. Chapter 1 - That Old Feeling

[AO3] [Chapter Master Post] [Soundtrack]

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~3500

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

**Author Note:** I am very excited to present this final full installment in the _Rhapsody in Red _universe. It is possible to read this fic as a stand-alone, but I highly suggest you read both _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_.

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**Chapter 1 – "That Old Feeling"**

"_I saw you last night and got that old feeling_  
><em>When you came in sight, I got that old feeling<em>  
><em>The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill<em>  
><em>And when you caught my eye my heart stood still"<em>

.

Korra adjusted the lit cigarette that dangled loosely between her slightly parted lips. She inhaled, the sweet relief of smoke slithered in wispy tendrils out of her mouth and into the already heavy air of the downtown coffee shop. A comfortable rumble of conversation set the baseline of noise in the establishment as Korra's eyes skimmed over the paper. The place was richer than she would have picked; dark wood formed bookcases with ornate carvings from ceiling to floor.

The dim atmosphere was doing nothing to help her wake. Despite the coffee mug steaming beside her, she still was not able to shake the grogginess that was draped over her like a fog. The mornings were evil, after all. Korra ran a hand through her now short hair. Just earlier in the month, she realized that she hadn't changed her hairstyle since her toddler days. Her brown hair now fell just below the chin in an angled bob.

Only a few of the headlines caught her eye, but the large picture of Varrick shaking hands with Mayor Raiko stood out boldly. The title of the piece read, "RAIKO AWARDS CONTRACT FOR NEW GRAND CENTRAL STATION."

Korra flicked the paper in half so she could peer over it, "I thought that was supposed to be your contract?"

Asami took a long drag of her slim cigarette. "Future Industries seemed like a lock for it, but you know very well that my father isn't favored under Raiko."

Her hands had an elegant grace to them that she was convinced existed in no one else but her. Her red lipstick stood out against her pale skin bared to the world by the low neckline of her burgundy dress. Even in the low light, Asami's hair shined in gentle, curly waves.

"Didn't Varrick try to have Raiko run out of town by seducing his wife during the election?"

The businesswoman rolled her eyes, "Well all sins are forgiven if you can write a fat check like Varrick can. Didn't even matter that he supported Tarrlok's failed run."

Raiko was elected nearly two years ago, and Varrick had bankrolled him ever since. It had been a long term already for the new mayor, but truly nothing had changed. The city was still just as bleak for the vast majority of its citizens. Vice Department work was unaffected as Raiko refused to cut police department spending because of stigma. Then again, no one in elected office cared about law enforcement until someone high profile got killed or robbed.

Korra dabbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and took a sip of her coffee before placing a fresh one between her lips. "Can you light me?"

Asami smirked and leaned in close enough that the detective caught a whiff of her floral perfume that left her feeling slightly heady. In the wake of her nasty break-up three years ago, Asami had been a source of comfort in more ways than one. Turns out that as fun as Asami was in bed, they were incompatible in almost every other way. But being friends, drinking partners, wing-women, (depending what activity was at hand), just seemed to work; keeping things as uncomplicated as possible kept them both happy.

"You'd think a chain smoker like you would carry a lighter," Asami flicked her lighter ablaze and held it carefully to the end of Korra's cigarette. "Let me buy you a nice one. Something steel with your name engraved on it…maybe the police department logo."

"Nah," Korra took a puff and waved her off. "By the way, how's Hiroshi doing?"

Asami grimaced. Korra knew it was a soft spot, but the Varrick and Raiko headline had her curious and she decided to go out on a limb and ask.

"He's fine," she snapped, crossing her arms and wearing an expression that could burn a lesser person. "You don't need to ask in such a…_biting_ way."

Hiroshi Sato was released from jail a year ago or so for good behavior. Korra, as the investigating Vice Detective, hoped his sorry ass would be in prison for a lot longer than it was, considering how big of a drug operation he was running. But she needed to let it go; most of the crooks she busted didn't stay in for long unless they had a violent charge thrown in there. Out of jail, Hiroshi took back control of Future Industries, much to Asami's displeasure. The woman enjoyed full control over her own company and of course, she wasn't perfect at the helm, but at least she wasn't distributing drugs.

"Does that mean you're still doing your," Korra made a nebulous circular gesture with her hand, cigarette dangling between two fingers, "thing?"

"If you mean the chemical applications division," Asami rolled her eyes, "then yes."

"I always thought you were more on the mechanical side of things."

"Things change."

Things did change, and so did people. Then again, change didn't always for the better. Korra wasn't sure that the last three years had brought her a whole lot of good. She was still a Vice Detective twice passed over for leadership in the department. Chief Beifong always threw her a line about being "more valuable in the field" or some other slaps in the face meant to keep her from getting angry. Korra was beginning to wonder how many more times she would stand still as the people around her moved up and on.

Asami took a sip of her coffee, "Did you hear about the coroner situation?"

"Oh yeah," she laughed. "What a fucking mess."

People like Zhou, who were instrumental in the closing of the Red Killer case, were removed in the political regime change as Raiko brought in his own people into appointed positions in return for their help. It was a complete racket; an incompetent supporter of Mayor Raiko occupied every single office like that.

The current coroner was recently removed after an embarrassing incident to say the least. The guy showed up at the scene of an extinguished building fire, still drunk from his outings the night before. Korra wasn't surprised; the coroner barely did anything. The office was a sham, run by someone who barely knew a liver from a pancreas. But the city reacted more harshly that she could have expected, with almost every major paper calling for the man's swift resignation and an improvement of the coroner office.

"Any clue who Raiko might appoint?" Asami asked.

Korra shook her head, "My ear hasn't been that close to the ground, but whoever it is, it'll be announced soon."

Silence settled over the two, and Korra's mind wandered. In many ways Asami was a link for her. She was a bridge over a violent river that connected her to a world outside of her work. Nowadays, her detective job consumed her. It was difficult to draw a line to separate Detective Korra and Korra in her mind. But at the moment, she supposed it was okay for the two to be one in the same.

Things had been like this…well since Mako broke up with her nearly three years ago. They still worked out of the central Republic City Police Department Station, so it was impossible to avoid him. Yet they kept their interactions to accidently meeting gazes from across a room that never lasted for more than a second or two. In three years she had barely spoken a full sentence or two to him, only using a broken phrase if she was required to interact with him.

After the way things ended, Korra figured it was best to have it this way.

"Have you…" Korra steps out on a limb again, "…heard from Mako lately?"

"Not really," Asami sighed.

Things were complicated between those two also. Asami never directly mentioned it (when she was sober anyway), but Korra knew they spent time together. She didn't need to be a keen detective to see that. She knew sometimes they got drinks or fell into bed because neither of them could hold down a relationship that had any semblance of stability. But once Asami realized that the normality that she sought with Mako was impossible, the two returned to a more typically friendly basis.

"Have you? You work in the same building."

The detective shrugged.

"I really thought you would have made up by now," Asami casually pulled her slim cigarette from her lips. "It's been three years."

"There's no way we're making up," Korra gritted her teeth.

Just thinking about the break-up raised a tidal wave of mixed emotions in her. Even three years later, she was embarrassed to say that she was still so deeply affected. Usually when it came to these sorts of relationship difficulties it was easy to her to pack her emotional baggage away and move on. It felt as if there was something stopping her, as if she had come up against a wall in the dark and was still waiting for morning to illuminate her way over or around.

"We broke up," she sipped at the cold coffee dregs at the bottom of her mug. "That's it."

"I've told you I'm here if you ever need to talk."

"And I don't want to talk about it," Korra snapped.

Asami was great, she really was. But whenever it came to her spilling her guts to the woman, it was never an ideal situation. As silver-tongued as Asami was in her boardroom or at the club, the instant Korra looked for personal assurance she always seemed to say the wrong thing. For a woman that was so talented in other areas, Korra was more than willing to realize that maybe those sorts of conversations were not Asami's forte.

Without Mako, she was largely without a confidant or someone to even vent to. Nights when the world weighed down on her and she only had a half-empty bottle of whiskey to talk to were the only times she ever felt truly alone. But Korra didn't like the idea of having to depend on someone else for such a large portion of her emotional welfare; perhaps she just needed more time to figure out exactly how to live.

Korra dropped the folded newspaper on the table next to the soft leather chair she sat in, not intending to read any further. "Thanks for the coffee, Asami. Really, I mean it," she smiled slightly. "I've got to get going, I'm already late."

"Don't be a stranger," Asami didn't move as Korra swung on her heavy gray trench coat and black leather gloves.

Korra popped her collar and placed her fedora on, ready for the early chill. "I try."

.

.

When Korra waltzed in the station was already bustling for the day. She flashed her badge as she passed the reception desk, earning a nod from the guard. Uniformed officers rushed every which way through the organized chaos that was the Republic City Police Central Station.

For a Friday, it was busier than she expected. Honestly, if she hadn't been almost finished with the paperwork on the Red Monsoons case she recently closed she would have taken the day off. The gang had thought it a clever idea to smuggle in cocaine to the city in porcelain dolls, which they would smash for their contents before distributing throughout the city. Still, this was not enough to stump Korra or throw her off their trail. The case resulted in the arrest of three Red Monsoons; not enough, but it was a start.

The Vice Department was on the fourth floor of the station. Korra quickly ascended the main staircase. A few people patted her on the back in recognition of her case bust. Although Chief Beifong and Vice Chief Saikhan didn't think she was cut out for the formal leadership structure in part because of her "lack of predictability," many still saw her as a leader. She was often sent new cops to take under her wing or mentor while they got their bearings. Formal schooling really only got you so far to be a successful member of the Republic City PD.

Korra strode into the Vice Department floor bullpen, hat in hand. Desks covered the entire large room, almost each one occupied by a Vice Department officer. She dropped her coat and gloves on her desk before sliding into her chair. The pile of half-finished paperwork still covered her workspace in a messy pile. Unfortunately, offices were reserved for people above her pay grade.

This was always the worst part of a case: the cleanup. The pursuit was exhilarating, but the documentation that came afterwards always deflated any enthusiasm she had.

"Korra," a pale hand leaned on the corner of her desk.

"What do you need, Tahno?" Korra said dryly, swiveling her chair to look up at him.

"Kai called," Tahno flipped his hair back into place. "He said he was calling about 'flowers for his mother,' and that you would want to know right away."

"Well, I appreciate you letting me know and doing your job well for once."

"Thanks for being snide…as usual," Tahno drawled before stepping away.

"Flowers for his mother" was a code, and an obvious one to anyone like her that was involved. Kai, one of her underground informants, didn't have a mother. He was an orphan that fell on hard times (she knew especially from Mako that this was the unfortunate norm). One day in the park, she caught his hand in her jacket pocket, his fingers searching for her wallet. Korra believed in second chances, so she took Kai under her wing. Now he was helping her to bust the Triple Threat Triad's heroin black market at the docks. People would notice a cop, but would overlook someone who they perceived to be just another street urchin.

Korra sifted through her things; it would be crucial to make contact with Kai immediately to move forward on the case. Paperwork would be here when she got back on Monday.

"Detective Korra."

She spun casually in her chair until her eyes met those of Chief Lin Beifong. The woman didn't seem to age. Her hair was still silver, and her green eyes had a steely edge to them that could strike fear into even the most hardened criminals. Lin was forged into the strong leader she was by her long and illustrious career in Republic City, yet even with her efforts the city had so much farther to go.

"Morning, Chief," Korra gave her a polite nod.

"My office in five," Lin walked off.

"Shit," Korra mumbled under her breath.

She took her jacket off and draped it over her chair, revealing her light blue button-down and gray pants. Rolling up her sleeves, Korra made a half-hearted effort to straighten the papers on her desk.

What could she have possibly done wrong to warrant a conversation with Chief Beifong in her office? In the last three years, Korra had kept her nose out of trouble regarding the department. Did Lin find out that sometimes she illegally parked her car outside the station and burned her parking tickets if she got one? Fuck, what if this was the promotion she was waiting for? Or shit, what if she was going to get reamed out for not having her paperwork in yet?

Korra walked towards the stairwell and jogged up to the fifth floor. Chief Beifong's office was just around the corner. The hallway was lined with pictures and plaques for cops who had illustrious careers. Their names and faces were forever immortalized, their careers reduced to just a few lines of engraved text. She wasn't too sure what she thought of that. They were like park statues to her; no doubt the person whose likeness was preserved did deserve the monument, but the idea of how overtime such things became just another part of the scenery for people to overlook left a bad taste in her mouth.

She quickly shook this thought though and took a deep breath before rounding the corner into Chief Beifong's spacious corner office. Deputy Chief Saikhan stood next to Lin behind her desk, his baldhead reflecting some of the lighting of the room.

What surprised her, however, wasn't the presence of the two most powerful individuals in the Republic City Police Department. It was the man in the corner who stood stiffly, his lips pressed into a stern line. Korra would recognize the visage of Detective Mako, Deputy Director of the Homicide Department. His golden eyes stubbornly avoided hers as she tried to cover her shock in seeing him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Korra forgot to speak with the decorum that she reserved for formal occasions.

"Sit down," Lin rolled her eyes before taking her own seat and cuing Mako and Saikhan to do the same.

"Okay then," Korra took an audible breath in, "what did I do wrong this time?"

"You haven't," Saikhan frowned. "This is a serious matter and I'd appreciate if you'd act if it were."

"Well, you haven't told me a thing yet, so how am I supposed to know it's important other than looking around at who's in this room?"

"Cut it," Lin snapped, taking a side-glance at Mako, who sat too rigidly and upright in his chair. "What we are going to discuss in this room doesn't go beyond a need-to-know basis, am I clear?"

Korra nodded, suddenly intrigued by whatever information the three were sitting on.

Chief Beifong pulled a file out of her desk and placed it in front of Korra. "We have some growing concerns about suspicious deaths of three Raiko supporters, all of which were Liberalist Party members and were appointed to governmental offices."

The detective pulled the file into her lap.

"We think these cases are linked, as well as a few others with businessmen an other people in powerful positions," Lin continued. "All were killed by what may prove to be poison, but many of the cases are without a proper cause of death. We see a concerning pattern emerging, and we want it investigated before it gets out of hand." She placed another file in front of Korra, "These two men were mid-level executives with two of Varrick's subsidiary companies."

"Mayor Raiko will be announcing his new coroner today," Saikhan crossed his arms. "After what happened with the last one, we have been assured that the new person will have excellent qualifications. We're finally getting a proper medical examiner to help with cases."

"Which will be of great benefit outside of this case also," Lin interjected.

"So you see a pattern," Korra didn't see much of any connection besides the shoddy one that was _probable_ cause of death. "So what? You know this isn't enough reason to look into this. Unfortunately people knock each other off with poison, it happens."

"Those people don't send a letter to Mayor Raiko's office in warning," Lin directed her to a location later in the file.

Korra's eyes ran over the short amount of text.

"_You may have not noticed the men who have left the ranks of your corrupt regime that extends past your government and around those whose pockets placed you in office, but I can assure you that you soon will. Step down, change is coming."_

The note was unsigned. The notion of "change is coming" rang oddly familiar.

Saikhan coughed into his sleeve before clearing his throat. "This needs to be taken care of as swiftly and quietly as possible."

"So, where do I come in then?" She looked up expectantly, not willing to assume incorrectly.

"Deputy Chief Saikhan and I agree that this case demands our best minds," Lin acknowledged her second-in-command with a nod. "As Mako is now the Deputy Director of the Homicide Department and well experienced, we chose him to lead the case."

Korra stole a glance at him, but his eyes were trained firmly on his bosses.

"…I said he could chose anyone to work with."

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"He chose you."


	2. Chapter 2 - Something's Gotta Give

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~3400

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

.

**Chapter 2 – "Something's Gotta Give"**

"_When an irresistible force such as you_

_Meets an old immovable object like me_

_You can bet just as sure as you live_

_Something's gotta give"_

.

"…I said he could choose anyone to work with."

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"He chose you."

Korra's jaw dropped so fast it would have hit the floor had it not been attached to her skull. All the scenarios that had run through her head prior to entering the meeting were thrown out for something much more ridiculous. She and Mako hadn't had a voluntary interaction in years. Surely there was someone else he would rather work with on the case that would probably pave his way to the top of the Homicide Department.

"You've got to be kidding me," Korra exclaimed.

Chief Beifong's expression was stern, "Mayor Raiko is very interested in you taking on the case. After how you two handled the seemingly impossible Red Killer case, the establishment wants to know that this is in good hands."

"I-I've got a caseload though!" She tried to protest.

All she had to go off was her gut. There was something inside of her that said that this was a situation that she didn't want to be in. A coherent and thought-out reason hadn't materialized yet in her head; everything was just happening too fast.

"I will personally make sure that your ongoing investigations are in good hands," Saikhan spoke up. "Detective Tahno will step in and help to distribute the load. Nothing is going to fall through the cracks while you turn your attention to this more important matter."

Korra stole a glance in Mako's direction. His face didn't betray any thoughts or emotions he might have had. He seemed utterly unfazed behind an icy façade of professionalism. But she knew him better than he would have probably liked. She knew there was something swirling around in that head of his; she would just need time to unravel it. Figuring out Mako motivations would be no different than any case she had ever worked on.

So Mako chose her. That didn't mean that she had to choose him. She was being offered a choice.

"What if I say no?" Korra quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms before leaning back in her chair.

"Bad career move, kid," Saikhan shook his head.

"What? So I can get passed over for _another_ promotion?" She rolled her eyes and pushed off the ground so her chair balanced on two legs.

Lin stood up quickly, "Listen here, Detective. Don't try to play apathetic with me because we both know it's not true. You'll work this case. And you'll solve it."

Korra swallowed hard. Despite how tough she considered herself, even rock broke under the crushing force of steel bearing down on it.

"Okay, okay!" She conceded, her hands up in a mock surrender. "I'll work the case."

The Chief of Police smiled, "Excellent. You'll be given access to the conference room on the second floor in the Homicide Department. I believe you're familiar with that location."

Of course she was. It was the room the two were allocated when they were partners on the Red Killer case.

"Remember that we have approved this partnership because we believe that you two are the best chance of success," Lin stepped back behind her desk, her composure regained. "You'll have all the resources that you need." She looked Korra right in the eye. "Don't do anything stupid."

Korra nodded and stood, the files for the case tucked under arm. She didn't even glance at Mako as she left the room. She could hear his footfalls a couple paces behind her as she headed down the hall and down two flights of stairs.

"I'm going to grab my things," she didn't wait for a reply before walking off into the heart of the Vice Department.

She gathered her coat over her arm and her hat in her hand before taking a deep breath. She was stubborn. There was some sort of perverse pride in being able to hold a nasty grudge for three years. Her hands were wrapped so tightly in residual anger around the problem her muscles felt stiff and vaguely "right" in that positioning. Her estrangement from Mako simply seemed normal, but if there was anything Korra knew it was that change was the only constant.

The trip downstairs to the conference room was quick. She walked in quickly, slamming the door behind her leaving the two alone.

For the first time she allowed herself to really look at Mako. His hair was different. Gone was the spiked look to be replaced by a more sleek and professional style. Briefly she wondered how much time he took in the mornings to slick his hair back with mousse because she remembered how long it took him to do even just his eyebrows when he was dating her. If anything the look aged him a few years along with the stress of his job; quite frankly this wasn't a bad thing in her eyes.

He didn't wear his scarf anymore. But she had noticed this change after passing him a year or two ago in the station. She remembered a time in which Mako wouldn't leave the apartment without the scrap of fabric wrapped tightly around his neck. Evidently, even the things that seemed so impossible to change surrendered to the tides that were time. Instead, he wore a blood red tie that stood out against his well-fitting and plain black suit.

What hadn't changed though, was that she found him attractive.

"So," Korra dropped down in one of the chair across the table from him, "you really know how to maneuver your career."

Mako stared at her stoically.

"Deputy Head of the Homicide Department scores the second huge case of his career," she goaded him. "Rats on his partner to the fucking mayor of the city to keep moving up."

"Are you done?" He looked unfazed.

Eventually one of them would have to give. One of them would cave; it was simply inevitable in her mind. For her, there was an odd pride in being the last one to hold out. It was like playing chicken in a building that was collapsing though; being the last one standing and playing the game to begin with assured mutual destruction.

Korra kept her face neutral. "Why did you pick me?"

He took a deep breath and placed his hands flat on the table. "Honestly?" He looked her right in the eye unflinchingly, "Because you're the best. There's no one in this force that has the keen eye, mind, and…" a small smile crept on to his face, "…brashness we need to crack this case."

"I'll take that as a compliment, City Boy."

The old nickname rolled off her tongue before it even registered. She winced and avoided his gaze. It was odd to think that she could fall into such routine and old "normal' behaviors with him so fast. Three years was supposed to be enough time to change old habits. By the silence that fell over them, she could tell that he found it equally awkward.

"I uh…okay what do you know about the case so far?" Korra opened one of the files.

"Of course, Detective."

She almost laughed, "You don't have to call me by my work title."

Mako inhaled and leaned back in his chair, obviously out of his comfort zone. "Mostly as of now businessmen and public officials, but no one very high up. We know they died of poison, but how and what poison isn't known. Most of the coroner reports are utter shit. That's what you get when someone with no medical training filling out forms on dead people."

The status quo for coroners was an incredibly low bar. Most of the time death certificates were filled out thoughtlessly. Sometimes they didn't even have a cause of death scribbled on.

"There are a few dead so far," he continued. "Airi Kumiko, the City Clerk, was found dead in her apartment. Kiku Chou, Assistant for the Public Advocate as well as Kapua Takehiko, the Director of the Department of City Planning and—"

"I see the others here," Korra's eyes scanned over the file. "Anyone else?"

"We can't be sure," Mako frowned. "The records are so bad there could be numerous others connected and we might never know."

"Well, isn't Mayor Raiko announcing the new coroner soon?"

"Yes…"

"Let's get our asses over there and get first on their schedule."

Mako looked like he wanted to protest but held his tongue.

"Look, we've got nothing else to go on. We're going to need more than detectives to solve this one."

He nodded, "See. This is why you're on this case."

Korra couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than that. Even then, she wasn't sure if she wanted Mako's straight answer to be true.

.

.

The car ride over to City Hall began awkwardly silent. Korra looked out the window, a smoking cigarette dangling between her fingers that she had lit with his Satomobile lighter. With each silent inhale and exhale, a bit of anxiety and stress floated away with the smoke.

"Uh, how has your life been?"

That question had vexed her for the last few minutes. What had her life been since they last connected? It certainly wasn't bad by any means. Her smoking had increased; she burned through almost an entire pack a day and although it was like throwing money in the trash she couldn't bring herself to stop. There had been relationships, if you could call them that. They were mostly one-night stands and lovers that felt like they might be able to materialize into something special but never did.

"Nothing substantial or worth talking about," she answered tersely.

Mako took her non-answer as a call for confrontation, "Are you really still angry at me after three years?"

Korra had to think about this. She had been truly angry with him for the nature of their breakup for quite a while after it all occurred. But now as she searched herself, much of that had faded with time more than any sort of understanding. So yes, there were still some burning embers there, lingering and slowly cooling.

"What do you think?" Smoke wafted out from between her lips.

"I don't know!" Mako growled. She had gotten to him for sure. "That's why I'm asking!"

Mako pulled up to the curb and stopped the Satomobile a bit more forcefully than required, forcing her to lurch forward.

Another conversation interrupted that Korra dreaded to finish later. It was easier just to focus on their police work and fall into their familiar rhythm. In that situation it was possible to forget all the messy personal details that had pulled them apart. There was so much time she took for granted. Their vacation on the Republic City Express seemed like a distant dream.

Both detectives popped their jacket collars and secured their hat brims low as they jogged into City Hall. They hurried up the stairs and through the main entrance of the grand building decorated with columns. The press conference would likely be full; events such as these had the swarming reporters overflowing out of Raiko's public address room. So instead, she and Mako flashed their badges and slipped in the back, just to the side of the podium.

The event was already in progress. Mayor Raiko was just stepping up to the myriad of microphones under a wave of camera flashes. He looked polished as ever; his black hair speckled with gray was slicked back. His light, blue-gray eyes were secured behind his pair of round, smart-looking spectacles. He was a passive sort of man. He valued his outward, skin-deep neutrality as incredibly important. But such displays were easily seen through by those who paid more than an iota of attention to Republic City politics.

"Thank you, and good morning," Raiko adjusted his gray tie. "I have already made numerous official statements regarding the removal of the last City Coroner, so I will keep my remarks today focused on matters that improve our city."

Korra relaxed against the wall, her shoulder leaning against Mako's upper arm in the cramped quarters. There was a familiarity to the proximity that she enjoyed; she could write it off later as a necessity given the packed state of the room.

"After careful examination of the candidates, I have thought a long while about the selection of this coroner. It is time for this city to have a professional that this city deserves in order to bring greater security and prosperity to our communities."

She wanted to laugh. Raiko's hand on picking an actual medical professional was probably forced by public opinion. Without such harsh media scrutiny, the man probably would have been fine throwing another one of his clueless supporters in to the slot.

"That's why we have convened today after all. We need to ensure that our city flourishes for years to come and has the governmental stability to provide that."

He was already setting himself up for the reelection in just a year's time.

Raiko cleared his throat. "I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jinora will serve as the latest Republic City Coroner."

Jinora stepped up to the podium beside Mayor Raiko.

"Do you know anything about her?" Mako leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Korra knew her. She was the daughter of Councilman Tenzin. She had the opportunity to get to know the young lady when she first arrived in Republic City many years ago. Tenzin, an old friend of her father, had been willing to take her under his wing and give her a place to stay while she finalized her entry into the Republic City police force.

"Yeah," Korra turned to him. "She's Tenzin's daughter."

"I didn't know you had such political connections, detective," he smirked jokingly.

Korra rolled her eyes, "I have friends, not connections."

Connections were for people trying to move up the ladder. Connections turned people into objects based on their worth. This was something Korra wasn't willing to do.

Raiko put his arm around Jinora and forced a smile. "Dr. Jinora has a medical degree from Kyoshi University, with specializations in pathology and bacteriology. It is indubitable that Dr. Jinora has all the qualifications she needs to make herself successful in this position."

"It's just another political appointment," Mako griped. "Just another Councilman's kid put in a position of power."

"Not so fast," she shook her head. "Jinora is a smart woman. You'll see. Trust me on this one."

For a moment, he looked apprehensive. She could see the gears turning in his head, determining how to respond. He could still trust her; she had never done anything for him to think differently. Her real concern was how far she could trust him.

"Of course," he conceded.

Trust was a funny thing when it came to partners. The level of trust needed to be higher than with a significant other, in her opinion at least. A moment of hesitation was enough time for a trigger to be pulled and a bullet sent across the room into a target. A moment of hesitation was enough to light a fuse or throw a punch. In Korra's mind, having lives on the line for her actions required complete trust. Could she do that with Mako after all they had been through? The thought ate at her.

"I will allow Dr. Jinora to take a few questions," Raiko had shuffled aside allowing Jinora to stand.

Jinora stood tall at the podium. She looked every bit the part of a brilliant scientist. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy, yet professional bun. Her brown eyes shone with a young brightness from behind her thick, horn rimmed glasses. Korra almost hated to see a woman like Jinora take this position with such good intentions. The system had the potential to jade and run-down people like Jinora at a frightening pace. Republic City needed people like her desperately, but Korra could only hope she would make it long enough to make the changes she had the abilities to.

One reporter stood, "Dr. Jinora, do you believe it is actually necessary to have a coroner with skills such as yourself."

"Well," she smiled, "I imagine it's rather difficult to solve murders when one doesn't know how the victim died."

Mako and Korra shared a smile at this answer.

Another reporter chimed in, "Do you have any plans for reform of the Office of the Coroner?"

"Yes, but I don't believe this is the time or place for me to go into it."

"That will be all," Raiko leaned over the microphones. "Any further inquiries can be sent to Dr. Jinora's office. The Office of the Coroner is officially being moved to Bay View Hospital."

As usual after a press conference, reporters continued to yell questions in some vain hope that they would be heard let alone answered. Korra stepped forward first, weaving and pushing through the crowd that engulfed Raiko and Jinora as photographers took an opportunity to snap a few shots.

The media had yet to catch on to the fact that there was a danger lurking and a huge story developing beneath their noses. After all, a death from poisoning in Republic City was barely a footnote in any of the numerous newspapers. Korra preferred it this way; the longer it took the reporters to catch on, the more breathing room they had to get far ahead in this case. Once the papers got onto it, people would demand answers and search for scapegoats and places to cast blame. In a case in which they were on unsteady ground, they couldn't afford such cutting questions.

Korra caught mumbles from reporters as she and Mako passed together. For a long while they were the poster cops for the entire police department and were the faces of law enforcement. The Red Killer case was so large that even today it was not so easily forgotten. She could only imagine the headlines that the tabloids could run with them merely in proximity.

Finally, the two reached Jinora. The doctor recognized Korra immediately and pulled her into a hug that the detective returned.

"It's been a while," Jinora pushed her glasses up.

"This is Detective Mako," Korra motioned to Mako.

"Pleasure to meet you at last," Jinora shook his hand.

"We're working on a case that needs your attention, could we talk in the hall?"

"Of course, of course."

Mako led the trio out, clearing the way from reporters. He turned right, putting them out of earshot of Raiko's mulling assistants and interns. This wasn't a matter for their ears.

"What's going on?" Jinora's eyes flitted between the two of them.

"We're working on a case," Korra sighed. "There seems to be a disturbing pattern of poisoning arising in the ranks of Republic City's rich and powerful."

"We're really going to need your help," Mako added. "Tracking a poisoner is harder than a shooter."

"I haven't quite settled in yet, but I can assure you that I'm going to start in on this at once." Jinora seemed determined. "Do you have files on it?"

"We'll make sure they get to your office," Mako assured her.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Jinora squeezed Korra's arm, "I need to get back to Bay View."

As Jinora walked off, Korra couldn't help but think they were too far behind on this case. Someone else was going to die before they even had a chance to stop it.


	3. Chapter 3 - Someone to Watch Over Me

[ ] [AO3] [Chapter Master Post] [Soundtrack]

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~3800

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

.

**Chapter 3 – "Someone to Watch Over Me"**

"_There's a saying old, says that love is blind_

_Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find_

_So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind_

_Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet_

_He's the big affair I cannot forget_

_Only man I ever think of with regret"_

.

As she and Mako walked back to the parked car, Korra couldn't help but to have her thoughts drift back to Jinora. As proud as she was of the young doctor, it was hard to imagine a scenario in which all of this ended well for her. People didn't keep their positions in Republic City by being nice. You either had to stab backs and step on faces when the opportunity was presented, or throw enough money at the problem through key bribes to keep others off your case. Korra could only wonder if Jinora had the wherewithal to survive it all. She hoped the young doctor would surprise her.

Korra lit a cigarette as soon as they slipped into the car. She inhaled deeply, enjoying a surely transient moment of peace. Things didn't stay calm long in her line of work.

"When did you get the new car?" She muttered, cigarette still dangling from her lips.

"It's not new," he turned the key in the ignition. "Don't you recognize it? It's Bolin's _old_ car. He insisted on getting a new one after he won a few big matches and well…it was nicer than mine."

"No kidding."

Mako shot her a cold glare before turning on the one-way, AM police radio. The unit crackled to life, filling the car with the white noise of static. Korra listened idly as a few reports and incidents came in through.

Traffic was heavy on the way back the central station. If it were her driving, she would have pulled her red light out of the glove box and stuck it to the roof, siren blazing. Then again, that would have been her impatience burning through. She didn't consider this a bad facet of her personality, or at least she thought. It let her act first in situations that required immediate action instead of waiting for orders or direction. That inclination was what made her and Mako a good team the first time around through the fusion of that nature and his more "think and pick" mentality. Only a bit more time would tell if it worked this time around.

Slowly, the cigarette reduced itself to the filter. Korra quickly cranked the window down and tossed the still burning stress-reliever out on to the street.

"Reports of a 211S. Repeat, reports of a 211S."

A 211S was a silent robbery alarm. Most commonly these sorts of calls indicated a bank robbery or a heist on someone rich and powerful enough to have such a system installed.

Mako and Korra shared a glance.

"Municipal Bank on Fifth Avenue. All available officers please respond."

Mako cranked his window open and reached out, sticking the red light to the top of the car. He rolled the window up just enough so that the gap between the glass and Satomobile frame was open enough for the wire from the light to slip inside.

"We're only two blocks away," he flicked on the siren. "I'm guessing you're up for a bit of action?"

"You know me," she touched her side and verified the presence of her sidearm. "I always am."

Was it bad to think it was a welcome distraction from the heavy silence that seemed to blanket them whenever they were alone? If they were going to work together and actually solve this case, they needed to _work_ again. Maybe not in the way that they did while dating, but at least with the give and take that they had while they were partners. This situation here could be a real test. Did she still have the capacity to trust him in a bind like this, despite what he had to erode her trust in other areas of their relationship?

Traffic parted in front of them at the urging of the siren. He turned them down a one-way side street as a bypass to the main street. When they popped out on the other end at 5th Avenue, the street was empty of traffic. Sirens blazed towards the bank that was just on the left and across the street. There were already two marked squad cars, sirens and lights blazing. The uniformed officers used their cars as cover, their pistols trained on doors.

The Municipal Bank was a favorite of businessmen who had a penchant for offshore accounts. The entrance was lined with columns, which accented the large, arched doorway. Korra had never been inside (her money was kept at a far more modest institution) but she imagined that the inside was equally opulent.

The two detectives burst out of the car as soon as Mako threw the vehicle into park.

Korra reached into her gray trench coat, pulled her pistol out, then checked to make sure her extra magazines were ready to be pulled out if needed.

"Is that new?" Mako pulled his revolver out of his shoulder holster. He still carried a .357 magnum revolver.

She nodded, "It's the new Varrick 1911. Pilot program for the department," she shrugged. "I figured you knew."

The gun was a piece of work. Shot a .45 caliber round more accurately and with less recoil than her previous piece. The magazines were a godsend for quick reloading in the heat of a firefight and it was sure to come in handy sometime. Korra was almost positive that Chief Beifong included her in the pilot program to keep her happy after the second promotion she was passed over for, but she didn't mind scoring a new sidearm as a consolation prize.

Korra had always been a crack shot ever since her father put a .22 rifle in her hands when she was seven. An avid hunter, he taught her to respect the power that firearms had. The idea that guns shouldn't be pointed at anything that one wasn't fully prepared to shoot was something that her father often reinforced. On the police force in Republic City, her marksmanship abilities came in handy more than her parents back home in the south would have liked. But shooting straight was just another skill in her arsenal that made her a strong detective; the first and foremost strength was that of her mind.

"Let's go around back," Korra motioned to the alley across the street. "The uniforms have the main exit blocked. Unless these crooks want to get into hours of hostage taking, they're going to be looking for another way out."

"Good idea," he followed her as they dashed across the street. "Why don't you take point?"

She nodded and flicked the safety off on her pistol. She grasped the weapon expertly in both hands, the barrel pointed safely to the ground. She kept close enough to the side of the alley that occasionally the rough brick wall brushed against her shoulder and scraped against her coat. Other than the sirens back on the main street, things were strangely calm and silent. The only thing her ears picked up were the light footfalls of her own steps and those of Mako's behind her.

Her breathing was slow and controlled despite the situation they might be walking into. Korra always performed her best in high-stress and high-stakes situations. Being jumpy would only cause mistakes; most rookie cops were perfect examples. There was a thin line between being impulsive and making quick, right decisions. Korra liked to think over the past three years she achieved the latter.

They rounded the corner further into the alley at the rear of the bank. The light over the back door of the bank stood out against the shadows that blanketed the area between the tall buildings. Korra could see a rolled up newspaper shoved in the door, leaving it ajar a scant few inches. It was so just barely propped open, any passerby not paying attention would have easily missed it.

"They must have known the door would lock if someone tripped the silent alarm," Mako held his revolver close to his face and pointed upward. "We should get some cover and wait for them to exit."

"There's no time for that," Korra peered through the small opening in the entrance. "If this is as well planned as it seems, this alley is plenty big enough to pull up a getaway car. Those crooks could be well armed. And if you don't mind, I really don't feel like having a dozen holes punched through me with a Tommy Gun today."

"That could happen inside just as easily!" He spoke through clenched teeth.

"I'd rather become Swiss cheese on my own terms," she growled, quickly growing frustrated. "Fine, stay out here and cover me."

"You know I can't do that."

"You just said you didn't want to go inside!"

"Well I'm not going to just let you go in alone!" His voice was a harsh whisper. "You need someone to watch over you."

Korra shot him a glare. "I don't."

"You should have someone to cover your back," his expression softened. "Now come on, this isn't the time to be having this discussion. Lead the way."

Just like that he was with her. Korra could only describe his expression as one of trust. After all this time, he was still willing to take her judgments on faith. She wasn't quite sure what to think about this. She had spent the last few years imagining as every link between them destroyed only to see he had a sort of unconditional trust he was certainly not supposed to have in her. Perhaps this is exactly what she wanted; maybe their working relationship was entirely salvageable.

"Let's go," she smiled.

Mako opened the door with a shrill squeak.

Korra moved in quickly, her pistol at eye-level and her finger poised over the trigger. She entered into a small coatroom. After a quick inspection she motioned Mako in with her head. He did as she asked and made sure to stuff the newspaper back in the door to keep it ajar. The last thing they needed was to be trapped in the bank with no means of escape.

The only door in the coatroom led into a dirty, white corridor. The linoleum on the floor was stained and muddied and needed care. It was clear this area was one that only an employee would access. A few empty carts littered one side of the narrow hallway while the lights above flickered ever so slightly. Korra moved slowly up the corridor. She had done this many times before; stay quiet, move forward, but let the bad guys come to you and get the jump on them. Although the first time she read _The Art of War_ she found it boring, it was impossible to deny that the element of surprise, especially when one was probably out-gunned, was utterly invaluable.

By this time, Korra figured that the police out front had gathered enough forces to appraise the situation. If the robbers weren't holding hostages, the police would certainly be moving in through the front while they crept in from the back. No matter what, these crooks were going to be left without an avenue of escape. She grinned silently at this thought; there were very few things she liked more than dishing out justice.

She and Mako continued to move silently down the hall. There was a fluidity to their movement that she thought they would have lost. Korra didn't need to mention for him to cover her as she ducked in to clear a side room.

Around the next corner was an office area. The room was filled with identical desks and short filing cabinets. They were all rather industrial and highly functional; this wasn't exactly where the highly paid brokers were working. The whole back area here was stark and undecorated; not even any of the workspaces had personal items. The lighting was just good enough Korra could see, but poor enough she knew that reading documents in this dank room all day would strain her eyes until her vision blurred. The desks were all cleared off, all documents probably locked away in one of the main filing cabinets for the night.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps through the next unmarked door. She and Mako made eye contact quickly and ducked behind desks at the back of the room, far from the door. Korra held her breath and peered around the desk, her firearm at the ready. The footsteps seemed to fade away, so Korra slowly stood and moved towards the door with Mako close behind.

As soon as her hand touched the knob an audible alarm blared through the room. It was probably going off through the entire bank.

The two ran to the back of the room and took cover behind the desks again.

"What did you do?" Mako yelled over the ringing sound.

"I didn't do anything! I just went to open the door!"

He slapped his palm to his forehead in frustration. "Why do you always have to touch everything?"

"I thought you liked that about me!"

The door was kicked open so hard the smack of wood against wall was heard over the alarm.

"Freeze!" Mako and Korra yelled in tandem, their guns trained on the robbers, bags of loot dragging behind them.

There were four men in the doorway. They each wore black suits and had their faces covered by gray bandanas so that only their eyes were showing. Each had a bag in one hand while their other clutched a pistol. That was, except for the man out front who carried a Tommy Gun with a one-hundred round drum barrel. Shit, that was a lot of ammo.

Korra sensed the hesitation of the four men. They weren't going to surrender and she sure was hell wasn't going to give them a chance to get a shot on her. She was not going to bleed out in this shitty little back room.

She squeezed the trigger twice, emptying two rounds into the Tommy Gun carrier's torso. The robber fell to his knees as shots began to fly across the small room. Korra ducked back behind the desk, her head down as bullets tore through the wall behind her.

"When we write the report, he shot first," Korra nudged him.

Mako squatted and popped a few shots off as Korra emptied the rest of her clip blindly over the desk for covering fire. She dropped the spent clip to the floor and pulled another from her shoulder holster. Korra flinched when she heard a bullet ricochet off the top of her desk; just a few inches of adjustment and that round could have easily embedded itself in her skull. They only needed to keep holding them off. By this point the uniforms just had to be breaching through the front.

Korra hastily pulled a stapler off the desk and chucked it to the opposite side of the room. The ruckus caused the remaining three men to shoot in that direction.

She took her opportunity and popped out of cover, firing off three rounds.

One of the robbers cried out, but she had only managed to graze him it seemed. Fuck, she was supposed to be better than that!

"Freeze! Guns down!" Four uniformed officers in their duty blues busted into the room.

The robber's guns clattered to the floor when they realized they were the ones far outgunned this time.

Mako and Korra stood slowly, their hands in the air not to provoke any attack from their fellow officers.

"I'm going to put my gun away, and reach slowly into my jacket and pull my badge out," Mako spoke in a measured and level manner.

"Aw, shit. Put down your guns, boys," the officer in charge said. "They're detectives. Did you come around the back? Probably where we hauled the getaway driver off a few minutes ago…"

Korra holstered her gun and nodded.

"Thanks for all your help then. We're just glad to grab these guys. We'll need your reports."

"Of course," Mako nodded. "We'll let you do the rest. Good work, boys."

Korra followed Mako out the way they came. Yes, part of her job was the occasional scrap or chase, but she didn't wish to become so accustomed to combat that it never bothered her. She was a police officer, not a solider after all. As they passed into the alley, Korra reached into her jacket and pulled out a cigarette. Her hands were shaking just enough for Mako to notice as she brought the cigarette to her mouth.

"Here," Mako pulled his lighter out. He leaned close, lighting the tip and shielding it from the wind with his other hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she avoided his eyes and walked past him.

She took a deep drag off of her cigarette. She was fine, truthfully. Just because she was a bit cocky didn't mean that she didn't mean she didn't get shaken up. It was a sort of involuntary response; her head felt clear but her body was reacting. They did their bit of good today, and she just wanted to get out of there.

The walk back to Mako's Satomobile was quick. Korra jogged around to the passenger side quickly and slid into the seat.

"T-Thanks," Korra tossed her cigarette and lit another one with his car lighter, "for having my back."

"Thanks for trusting me to do it," he cocked his head to the side. "You know, we never finished our talk earlier. Are you still angry?"

"Honestly?" Korra took a deep breath. "A bit, yeah. What you did…what _happened_, was pretty big…"

On some level, she understood it wasn't his fault. He had done the right thing, and she had been on the wrong path. Nevertheless, the whole situation that was largely professional still felt so profoundly personal; this is what made it hurt. It was hard for her to draw a line between those two parts of herself. Perhaps this was why everything between them got so messy and out of control.

But on the professional level, it was clear that they were largely unaffected today. The way they worked together was like them at the height of the Red Killer case. They could do this. They could solve this mystery together.

"…But I know you still have my back," Korra looked away. "I think we can work together. Do you?"

"I wouldn't have picked you for this case if I didn't."

Korra didn't reply as Mako pulled back on to the street and pointed them towards the station.

For some reason, she noticed his left hand draped over the steering wheel as he drove the car. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to expose his wrist.

"You still wear that watch I got you for your birthday," she stated it flatly.

"Well, uh," she could have sworn she saw some color rise in his cheeks, "it's a nice watch."

"It was always like pulling teeth for you to wear it," she smiled and reveled in the nostalgia back when there were good feelings between them, if only for a moment.

The watch was a fine silver timepiece. He had been so overwhelmed by it when she presented it to him. He said it was too much, she said it was just enough.

"I-I never said that, by the way, I liked your hair short."

Korra tried desperately not to blush, "T-Thanks."

They had gotten too close. Like a finger just barely touching a hot skillet, they both recoiled away and hid in silence. It was going to be easier to work this case and just forget everything that happened…or at least try. She needed some space from him; just having him nearby was intoxicating again and like after a few shots, she was beginning to feel the headiness get to her.

"We don't have any other evidence," she tossed her cigarette out the window. "Why don't we just resume on Monday?"

"Yeah," he exhaled, "that would be fine," he pulled up in front of the station. "I'll see you Monday then."

"Monday," Korra stepped out on to the curb and didn't bother to look back.

She had plenty of action for one day. Korra walked around back of the station and slipped into her Satomobile. She drove back to her apartment, her thoughts overridden by a complicated mess of emotions that she wasn't keen on dealing with. One day back and she couldn't get him off of her mind.

She once told Mako, "Everyone has their vice." It was obvious that smoking was her principal guilty pleasure. Even just halfway home she felt the familiar itch and compulsion to light up again. Maybe it was time to admit that maybe Mako was another one of her weak points. Korra honestly wasn't sure how she felt about him anymore. So much time had passed and she had spent years convincing herself that he was horrible for her, yet she still felt confused.

As soon as she got out of her car, another cigarette was instantly between her lips. She climbed the stairs to her apartment quickly and rushed through the door. Lighting up first with a half-empty pack of matches from the last restaurant she visited, she shrugged her jacket off and hung her coat on the rack nearby the door.

She needed a distraction. Mako wasn't supposed to be waltzing through her thoughts again. She didn't want a reminder of their good times or how she felt with him. She couldn't allow herself to dive back into those memories

Korra pulled out a glass from the cabinet and poured herself an inch of gin and took a quick sip before replacing the cigarette back between her lips. She picked up the phone and dialed the number scribbled on the note attached to her refrigerator.

The phone rang three times until a "hello" came from the other end of the line.

"Hey, babe," Korra dabbed her cigarette in the ashtray. "You wanna come and spend the night? I'll make you a nightcap."

After all, everyone had their breaking point. Korra preferred to keep moving long enough that she never found it in any area of her life.


	4. Chapter 4 - Blue Moon

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~3500

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

.

**Chapter 4 – "Blue Moon"**

"_Blue moon_

_Now I'm no longer alone_

_Without a dream in my heart_

_Without a love of my own"_

.

Korra swirled the dregs of brandy in her glass while wisps of smoke swirled in the air from the cigarette she just pressed into the ashtray. With this poisoner case on the horizon, she wasn't sure the next time she would have a Sunday evening to herself, so she was determined to take advantage of it. She reclined languidly in her robe, head thrown back and eyes closed, the file with the little information they had on the new case left open on the coffee table. The light in the room just bright enough from the lamp in the corner that she could read if she strained her eyes to make out the lines of half handwritten, half typeset text.

The weekend had been nice, to say the least. Ania was a nice woman, and they both understood that this was nothing more than a little fling. Was it enough? It was hard to say. Korra was so used to the whole routine of the revolving door of companions she felt dulled to the emotions of it all. She wasn't looking for fulfillment in a relationship; she was certain that such a thing was something she was fully capable of seeking out and attaining on her own.

She had to run into the station on Saturday to file her report regarding the bank robbery. It was easy enough; both her and Mako's reports indicated that the robbers shot first. Especially considering that the crook discharged a number of rounds in the main area of the bank, their story wasn't looked into very closely. Quite frankly, even if it had been, it probably would have been swept under the rug. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; the men were armed and dangerous after all, but Korra preferred to give chances when she could.

The ring of her telephone interrupted her thoughts. She couldn't think of any reason to call her after seven on a Sunday evening if it wasn't work related. Korra stood slowly and walked over to the kitchen and picked the handset off of the heavy rotary phone.

"Hello?"

"Am I interrupting something?" Mako's voice came through the earpiece.

"Just a normal Sunday evening. Is something going on?"

"I can't say over the phone…" she sensed his hesitation. "Can I give you an address to meet me at?"

"I shouldn't drive, I've been drinking…not much I promise," Korra didn't want him to think she shouldn't be on the scene. "Can you just pick me up?"

"That's fine. Can you call Jinora and tell her that I'll pick her up too? We're going to want her on the scene."

He hadn't asked if she lived in the same place, but since he was right, she had no reason correct him. The fact that he wanted Jinora on the scene was telling though; it meant they had a body. His reluctance to say over the phone indicated that this was possibly something big, but Korra had no way of knowing until they made it to the scene.

Korra pulled out her small notebook from the pocket of her trench coat by the door. She quickly dialed Jinora.

"Hello?"

"Jinora, it's Korra."

"Well, good evening!"

"I hope you're not busy. Mako and I are getting you on the way to a crime scene. Time to get to work."

"I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Korra pulled on a pair of black pants and a navy blue button down shirt. If Mako was calling from home, he would be here any minute now. That is, if her assumption that he hadn't moved since she had last visited him at home was true. She secured the leather buckles of her shoulder holster and slipped her gun inside before double-checking that she had replenished the clips she had burned through at the bank heist.

She swung on her coat and hat, locked the door behind her, and headed down the stairs. It wasn't too cold, so she elected to wait outside. Korra reached into her jacket and lit the last of her matches before lighting the cigarette between her lips. The moon hung above her high in the sky, full and bright even against the golden glow of Republic City. The metropolis had long ago stopped surprising her as far as the amount of grime it could hide. She was sure that she would never have a lasting impact on the safety of the city through her work.

That had only recently started to worry her. If she wasn't making an impact that was real and lasting, what was she doing? Yeah, she didn't need some sort of grandiose legacy, but as someone who had uttered the phrase, "I am the job," before, what was she if her job wasn't making an impact? Korra tossed her cigarette to the curb and pressed the embers out with the toe of her shoe. Now wasn't the time to be considering that sort of thing; she had bigger matters to attend to.

Mako's car pulled up smoothly alongside of her. She took a deep breath before ducking inside and sliding into the smooth, leather passenger seat. As happy as she was that they had a nice conversation post-bank heist, a bit of happy chitchat didn't mean they were on solid ground.

"What's going on?"

Mako's expression was stern. "The District Attorney was discovered dead in his apartment along with his wife."

"Ano Kaito?" Korra felt her stomach drop.

"The one and only."

She had never been particularly fond of Kaito. He wasn't as aggressive with pressing charges as she would have liked, but he wasn't _horrible_ compared to the other corrupt assholes that he was surrounded by.

"Where does Jinora live?" Mako pulled away from the curb.

"Upper East Side."

"Perfect, the Kaitos lived over there."

Korra caught the edge in his voice. The Upper East Side was one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Republic City. "Of course the girl has some money, Mako. Family and otherwise…being a doctor pays."

"Of course."

Mako always seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder about those born into wealth. But Korra knew better; it wasn't that simple. He hated that there were individuals with power in the city with no ability or want to wield it appropriately. Money was one means to power but certainly not the only one; Mako just wanted a city in which power wasn't so corrupt, she felt the same.

Jinora ran out of her apartment building when the pulled up by the curb. The remaining five or so blocks of driving went very quickly as Mako filled Jinora in on the little information that they had. The buildings were lower here, most four to six stories in height. There was a comfortable, lower population density in this neighborhood you could enjoy; that is, if you could afford it.

Mako pulled the car up by the curb and the three unloaded the vehicle. The red and blue flashing lights of the three marked police cars cast long shadows in the moonlit night. A small crowd had begun to gather in the surrounding area. Looked to her to be mostly locals out on the street on the nice evening, but the reporters would show up soon enough. As soon as someone caught a whiff off how big this was they would be fending off newspaper writers like flies in the summer.

Korra and Mako led the way with Jinora in tow. They hurried up the stairs, their badges in hand as the uniformed officers allowed them into the building. Their shoes clicked against the granite floor of the lobby as they made their way inside. The entryway immediately pulled the eye upwards, as a staircase wrapped towards the top of the building around an elegant elevator.

Korra pulled open the outer cage of the elevator."Which floor?"

"Sixth," Mako closed the inner cage.

The sixth floor was the top floor of the building. Ano Kaito had the pleasure of enjoying the penthouse. His door was the only one on the floor. The three took a few steps forward on the ornate carpet towards the green door labeled "Apartment 601."

"Detectives?" One of the officers at the door addressed them.

Korra and Mako both showed their badges.

"That's us," Korra gestured to Jinora. "And the new coroner."

"Last one didn't make house calls," the officer smiled.

"Things are changing," Jinora adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"I'm Officer Wook. I'll take you in."

Wook opened the door carefully and stepped through the entryway. "We responded to a call from the housekeeper an hour ago. She said she usually comes in to cook dinner on Sundays as Ano and his wife, Honoka, spend the first night before the workweek in."

The first thing Korra noticed was how in place everything was. The apartment was decorated lavishly. Paintings adorned the walls and trinkets of all kinds littered the bookshelves, tables, and lid of the baby grand piano in the corner. Nothing was knocked over, nothing was disturbed.

Yet, inexplicably, Ano and Honoka were dead. Ano's body was slumped to the side, while his wife's head lolled back, her arms splayed on either side of her body. One might even think they were sleeping if they didn't know any better.

"Housekeeper said that she came in and found them like this. Neighbors will verify that she screamed."

"And she called the cops?" Korra pulled her notepad out of her coat.

"Yeah," Wook rubbed the back of his neck. "Poor lady was in shock."

Jinora moved towards the still bodies of Ano and Honoka. She dropped her bag to the side and examined them with a keen eye.

"What else did she say?" Mako's eyes followed Jinora as she began examining the victims.

"She said nothing seemed out of the ordinary…but honestly the dame was sobbing so hard I just had one of the boys take her home."

"Go back and take a full statement tomorrow," Korra stepped around to Jinora's side. "And go ahead and start canvassing the building. Check for neighbors who might have seen something out of the ordinary."

"Someone had to have seen something," Mako stroked his chin, "They didn't just drop dead for no reason."

"Sure seems like they did though," Wook tipped his hat and stepped out of the room.

Upon closer examination, the bodies of Ano and Honoka Kaito weren't as peaceful as Korra originally observed from afar. Their teeth were clenched, and their lips were stained with a bloody froth. Their faces were blued, as if strangled, but red spots blotched their fair complexions. Most of all, it was familiar. She had seen a man killed like this before years ago on a train speeding away from Republic City.

"Mako…" Korra caught his eye. "Does this ring any bells for you?"

His brow creased, "You're thinking about that case on the Republic City Express, aren't you?"

"It's the same."

The voice of Mongkut, the deceased owner of the Republic City Express' voice rung through her head when he warned them about "change coming." Korra realized this was probably not relevant, and moved on to the task at hand.

"Well…" Jinora carefully examined the body of Ano. "It looks like cyanide to me." Her eyes thoughtfully passed over his features. "Always leaves these obvious signs. Shuts down the body's ability to carry oxygen. That's why it almost looks as if they were strangled. They asphyxiated due to the toxin."

"Poison…" Mako took a deep breath. "Looks like the shoe fits on this new killer."

"Wait a second," Korra looked around the room again. "How were they poisoned then?"

"Cyanide is pretty easy to disguise in food or drink," Jinora pulled out a magnifying glass to examine Honoka more closely.

Korra searched the immediate vicinity and wandered into the kitchen. "No food, no drink in here. Wasn't the housekeeper going to cook them the meal anyway? There isn't even a plate out…"

"Could they have eaten before they got here and had the poison take effect when they sat down?" Mako paced.

"No," Jinora stood up and shook her head. "The cyanide would have acted too quickly."

"Then how were they poisoned?" Korra frowned.

Of course this case wasn't going to be simple. She couldn't expect it to be anything other than a true mystery.

"Can we get the bodies back to my lab in Bay View?" Jinora picked up her bag and stepped away from the couch. "Sorry I can't tell you more here. I'll need to perform a full autopsy. Without any other evidence of foul play other than the fact that they are unexpectedly dead, I need to look further."

"Yeah," Mako nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We need answers."

Korra sighed, "The sooner we figure out how they were poisoned, the quicker we can get after whoever did it." She walked towards the door and tapped the remaining stationed officer on the shoulder. "Get these two to the morgue at Bay View when the ambulance pulls up."

She took a moment to look through the rest of the apartment. The place looked lived in and yet nothing stood out as odd. Ano's study looked like it had been used that evening, and the master bed was still made up. Korra couldn't imagine that another person had been here for any other motive than murder alone.

"What is going on in there?"

Mako and Korra peered out the open door of the apartment. Officer Wook had his hand pressed against a much smaller man's chest. His dark purple button down was ruffled from this, and the man was quick to straighten his collar and adjust his belt.

"Who's this?" Mako stepped through the doorway.

"I'm Sung, the goddamn landlord!" He weaseled his way out from Wook's grasp. "What the hell is going on up here?"

"We're afraid the two residents of this apartment were found dead this evening," Mako's tone of voice was flat and professional.

"T-The Kaitos?" Sung sputtered, color draining from his face. "W-What h-happened to them?"

Mako pulled out his notebook, "That's under investigation."

"W-Was it faulty security? I have a number of powerful clients that need to feel p-protected I need to know I—"

"Can you tell me about your whereabouts this evening?" Korra chose to ignore his self-centered babbling.

Sung flinched as reality finally caught up with him. "I-I was out. I was at the grocery store with my wife! You don't t-think I did this?"

"No," Korra smiled. "Just getting us on the same page. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

He shook his head, "No I haven't."

"No one suspicious in the building that isn't usually here?" Mako pressed.

"I mean…the apartment below this one got fumigated yesterday…it was an emergency or something…they said they had to be out the whole day."

"Which apartment unit?" Korra scribbled this note down.

"502. It's right below."

The apartments wouldn't link between floors, but a mystery work crew was just too good to pass up. Someone determined and skilled could probably have made it work.

"Take the rest of his statement then search this place top to bottom," she pointed to Wook. "Jinora, meet us in the lobby in ten minutes."

Mako and Korra hurried one floor down the stairs that wrapped around the elevator shaft. Korra's heart pounded in her chest. This could be it. This could be their vital link. Nothing excited her more on a case than seeing all the pieces come together. Having a break this early could mean that they would stop more needless deathes.

Korra knocked on the door and pulled out her badge.

A middle-aged woman in a pink robe answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"Republic City Police, ma'am," Mako tipped his hat. "We're investigating a case in this building. Would you mind if we asked you a simple question?"

"Of course not, officers."

"Your apartment was fumigated yesterday, is that correct?" Korra asked.

"Yes," she rubbed the back of her neck. "It was sudden…people from the city showed up and said it was urgent and to be out of the apartment the whole day."

"Names? Description of them? Maybe a card with a number on it?" Mako's voice had an edge of excitement to it. He always enjoyed the rush of a case.

"Well, they were all wearing gas masks when they came…" the woman squinted, trying to remember. "They gave my husband a work order…I think he has it with him at work!"

"Is there anyway we could get that from you," Korra smiled. "It would help us greatly."

"I'm Bo…do you have a card?"

Mako pulled a business card from his coat and placed it in her hand. "Please contact me right away."

"I promise!"

With that, their time at the scene was over. All the two could do now was play the waiting game. Waiting for Jinora to determine cause of death, and waiting for Bo to figure out what maintenance crew from the city fumigated their house, and waiting for the result of the search of the apartment. But something told Korra that when they looked into city records, they wouldn't find any city workers doing service yesterday in the logs. This all just reeked of conspiracy; they just needed to get to the bottom of it.

They met Jinora in the lobby and headed outside. A few reporters mulled around the outside of the building in the moonlight. Korra pulled a cigarette out, and Mako pulled his lighter out without a moment of hesitation. But as they approached the car, a figure was leaning up against the automobile door.

"Get out of here, punk!" Mako hollered, his keys swinging around one finger at the young man with the flat cap.

Korra placed a hand on his arm. "I know him." She jogged up to the car and clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Kai…"

"Oh hey, Korra!" He grinned. "You got any more cigarettes? I'm out."

She rolled her eyes and handed him the almost empty carton from her pocket. "You're not blowing your money on other shit, are you?"

"Nah," he lit the cigarette and placed it between his lips.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard there was action and I—" Kai leaned around Korra. His eyes darted between Mako and Jinora until finally settling on the young lady. "Hey there, sweetheart."

Korra saw the ghost of a blush blossom on Jinora's face. Kai was a lady's man through and through. But there was something in his eyes that Korra wasn't used to seeing. There was a softness instead of the usual bad boy glare.

"Hello," Jinora tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Want a smoke?"

Korra tried not to roll her eyes as he tried to offer her one of the cigarettes she had just so willingly handed over.

Mako placed a protective hand on Jinora's shoulder. "I don't think she does."

"I can speak for myself," Jinora raised her eyebrows at Mako before turning her attention back to Kai. "I don't smoke, but thank you."

"Were you planning on telling me why you're here?" Korra snapped her fingers to get Kai's attention.

"I heard the rumblings," he took a puff off of his cigarette. "This is usually when you need me to keep an eye on things."

Korra pulled a five-dollar bill out of her pocket and slipped it into his hand. "Look for anything suspicious in the area."

Kai wiggled his eyebrows and cockily stood upright. "I'll be in touch." He walked over and took Jinora's fingers into his, and kissed the back of her palm lightly. "Ma'am," he tipped his hat and disappeared into the alley.

The trio loaded into Mako's car. Monday was certainly going to be a busy day with these new developments. They were on the right track, she was sure of it.

"Be careful around guys like that," Mako grumbled as he started the car.

"Why?" Korra nudged him. "Story of a street kid turned good hit a little too close to home?"

Mako shot her an icy glare before ignoring her comment entirely. "Jinora, where do you want to be dropped off?"

"Bay View, please," she requested kindly. "I'm going to get right to work."

Korra wished she could do the same. But frankly, the best she could do tonight is rest and await the oncoming storm in the morning. The death of the district attorney was not something that could be taken lightly. Raiko was probably working on a replacement now to fill the power vacuum and assure the city that the justice system was ready to function at its marginal level. Once the papers got a hold of the story…well she could only hope that they would see it as a bizarre isolated incident. But they could probably only count on that for a little while.

Everything had its tipping point. The case, the reporters…all they had to do was press long enough until they hit it.


	5. Chapter 5 - Unforgettable

[ ] [AO3] [Chapter Master Post] [Soundtrack]

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~4400

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

**Author Note:** Wow this chapter ended up long! Sometimes you can never tell when outlining.

.

**Chapter 5 – "Unforgettable"**

"_That's why, darling, it's incredible _

_That someone so unforgettable _

_Thinks that I am _

_Unforgettable, too"_

.

The next morning came earlier than Korra would have liked. She rolled out of bed to the phone ringing off the hook at an ungodly hour. She answered the phone blearily, only to find Mayor Raiko's personal secretary on the other end of the line. Unsurprisingly, the death of the district attorney was an emergency of the highest degree. In response, Raiko requested (or more so ordered) that she and Mako be at his office first thing in the morning. Of course, she was in no position to refuse, so she rushed out of bed and joined the morning rush hour in her Satomobile and picked up Mako on the way.

So here they were, twiddling their thumbs idly for the last thirty minutes in City Hall. Korra sat opposite of Mako in the cozy, plush waiting room. The glass coffee table between them held two half-filled cups of tea in delicate pieces of blue and white china that the two had nursed through their waiting.

"Bolin wants to see you," Mako took a sip from his cup. "He suggested that we go out tonight."

All they could do was chat and keep themselves occupied. Korra didn't like to be kept waiting. To her, it was about power balance. It meant that one party thought that their time was worth more than the others'. It was rude, and if she wasn't sure that Mako would reel her back, she would have barged through the tall, dark wood doors of his office fifteen minutes ago.

"Really?" She crossed her arms and made no effort to hide her amusement. "You…_you_ are suggesting that we go out on the night after we found the district attorney dead in his home?"

"You know as well as I do that working hard on this case doesn't mean that we pull an all-nighter every evening," he smiled slightly over his cup. "He misses you."

There was something uncomfortable with the idea of keeping Bolin in her life after her nasty breakup with Mako. In a time when she so desperately needed to move herself away from Mako and everything that reminded her of him, it just seemed impossible to keep Bolin around. He had been a wonderful friend, but the temptation to asking how Mako was faring in the aftermath of all the events was far too great for her to resist. So she stopped returning calls and making lunch dates and eventually, Bolin got the idea. She was sure she had hurt him, but knowing Bolin she knew that he and his perpetually kind and untarnished heart understood.

Rubbing elbows with Mako on a basis that was not strictly professional made her uncomfortable. They were doing okay playing partners again. It was a careful balancing act, and she wasn't sure what could knock them off kilter and she honestly didn't want to take the risk. Then again, the chance to see Bolin again was difficult to pass up.

Korra crossed her arms, "How about I say 'maybe' and we play it by ear?"

"Fair enough and maybe we could—"

The tall, dark wooden doors of Mayor Raiko's office creaked open.

Raiko took a few steps outside, his polished black shoes clicking against the marble floor. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Please, come inside."

Mako and Korra followed quickly. His office was large. His desk, a carved wooden piece with obvious master craftsmanship was the centerpiece of the room. The room was adorned with various decorations, the most poignant of which was a large, hand-drawn map of the original street plans for Republic City.

"Please sit," Raiko motioned to two vacant chairs setup in front of his desk before taking his own seat.

One of the seats was filled. The woman shot Mako and Korra a brief glance as they sat down but made no effort to introduce herself. Korra didn't recognize her. She sat ramrod straight up in her chair with a sternly serious expression. Her hair was black and wavy, pulled back out of her face, revealing green eyes and thick eyebrows. A single black beauty mark was present beneath her right eye.

"As you can imagine, the death of Ano Kaito and his wife are very concerning," Raiko wiped at his round glasses with a cloth. "It is clear that whomever is targeting the people of this city has no difficulty in being bold. When I told Chief Beifong that I wanted the best assigned to this case I did so hoping to prevent something like this from happening."

Korra knew part of Raiko's concern was his own life. Killing the district attorney was already a huge move. How long until they came after the mayor of the city?

"Detective Korra and I are doing our best," Mako assured Raiko. "Whoever did this was good. We're still gathering evidence—"

"I'm not worried about your competency," Raiko settled his glasses back on to his face. "You two are well aware that it is in your best interest to solve this case swiftly. Good things will come of that."

"Then why are we here?" Korra leaned back in her chair.

Raiko folded his hands on his desk. "I've been up all night with my advisors selecting the new district attorney. I don't need to explain to you two how important this position is to how the police department operates and brings criminals to justice"

Of course, the DA was in charge of prosecution of criminals in Republic City. A strong and competent prosecutor was key to having a working justice system. Korra sized up the woman in the third chair again. From appearance and the set of her jawline, Korra was inclined to assess her as strong. She was dressed simply in a dark green pantsuit. She certainly didn't look the part of a showy lawyer.

"I would like you two to meet Kuvira, our new DA."

Mako and Korra stood after Kuvira did. Korra shook her hand firmly and looked the lawyer in the eye.

"It's good to meet you," Kuvira's face remained serious. "I am looking forward to working with you two."

"Kuvira was the District Attorney in Ba Sing Se," Raiko motioned for them to sit again. "She has a reputation for being tough on crime."

"I am willing to do everything within my power to make Republic City governed truly by rule of law," there was a fiery passion hiding beneath Kuvira's calmness. "I'm not interested in helping to protect a city that protects _some_ more than others."

Korra watched Raiko's expression turn icy. A Republic City with equal protection under the law would mean that the businessmen who propped Raiko up and allowed him to run would be very displeased. She couldn't help but think that the mayor had appointed someone outside of his ability to handle.

"Well in full disclosure," Raiko slapped on a fake smile, "Kuvira was educated here in Republic City. Her law degree was financed by the CEO of Zaofu Steel, Suyin Beifong."

"The Chief's sister," Mako nodded.

"Your boss is quite well connected," Kuvira raised her eyebrows and interlaced her fingers in front of her. It was hard to miss the large, diamond engagement ringer on her finger, "Everyone has to be."

Raiko stood up, "The other reason you're here is so you can appear at the press conference that we are about to have. Your presence will assure the people of Republic City that the case is in good hands."

The next hour was mostly waiting around in the mayor's waiting room until they were shuffled downstairs to the same room that Jinora's press conference took place only a few days ago. They said all press was good press, but the seemingly revolving door that was Raiko's appointees couldn't look good. Korra could only imagine what the more vitriolic editorials were spouting.

The first five or so minutes of the presser was Raiko blabbing. Honestly, she checked out despite being on stage placed next to Mako and behind Raiko to form some sort of illusion of solidarity between them.

"…Without further ado…our new district attorney is Kuvira!" Raiko smiled and made way for Kuvira to take her place at the microphone.

Her posture was upright and confident as she took the podium, a hand on each side of the lip at the top. She smiled ever so slightly for the cameras before beginning.

"Things are going to change," she let her words resonate over the room. "It is inevitable and wholly needed in this city. No longer will Republic City allow gangsters and criminals to have a blind eye turned to their destructive actions. That is all."

Korra would have grinned widely had the flashes of reporter's cameras not reminded her that any face she made was liable to end up on the cover of any number of newspapers that afternoon. She was sure she hadn't liked any district attorney this much. None had seemed so…unwavering. But time would tell; first impressions were often wrong.

Raiko took the podium again, "Regarding the death of Ano Kaito and his wife…" he looked down in a brief moment of silence. "Detectives Mako and Korra, noted for solving the Red Killer case three years ago will be taking point on these two untimely deaths. I needn't assure any of you that this case is in good hands as the city is already familiar with their work."

Mako and Korra smiled politely.

"This city will not bow to the wills of criminals…"

Korra wanted to roll her eyes.

"…I can assure you all that we will move forward with business as usual," Raiko's expression was somber. "We will have an announcement on memorial services for the Kaitos soon. In the meantime, I want to dispel rumors from this morning that the annual Founder's Gala and Dinner will be cancelled. This is simply not true. The event will take place two nights from now as it has been scheduled for. No questions, thank you."

Mako and Korra slipped out the side door into the hall.

"What do you think of her?" Korra led the way back to her Satomobile.

"Well she talks the talk, let's see if she walks the walk," Mako shrugged. "Come on, let's head over to Bay View and see if Jinora has anything for us."

Of course every DA came in with strong words, but none had spoken about organized crime or governmental corruption so strongly. There was something different about Kuvira…she just knew it.

.

.

Bay View Hospital was the oldest in Republic City, and the oldest in the entire United Republic. The building looked out over the eastern part of Yue Bay, it's rustic brickwork rising eight stories above the street with two square turrets rising up and away from the building on the waterside. It was a building from an older era of the city; there were plans to expand the center and add buildings when funds became available. Mako and Korra entered through the front and pointed towards the basement morgue by a preoccupied receptionist.

Despite the impressive exterior, the inside of the medical center was strictly utilitarian. Republic City was big, and new people arrived every day by boat and land to try to make their dreams come true. With the population density steadily climbing along with each new skyscraper built, disease was always a threat.

And of course, the morgue was in the basement. Despite the ventilation systems, the smell of formaldehyde robbed her of any appetite she might have worked up for lunch.

Jinora was hunched over her desk outside of the morgue itself, her hair falling out of her bun and into her face. She looked up as they entered the room and pushed her glasses up. Her face betrayed her exhaustion. Dark bags were present under her eyes, and her posture was tired and slumped.

"You got anything for us?" Korra walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Yeah…" she pulled out two files. "I performed an autopsy on both of the Kaitos last night. It looks like cyanide…"

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming," Mako rested his hand on his hip.

"It's odd…" Jinora rubbed her forehead wearily. "Usually, cyanide leaves a bloody trail in the intestines and I didn't find one. It wasn't food poisoning I can say for sure…the bodies were stiff and cold like I would expect from cyanide."

"So you're saying…they didn't eat anything poisoned?" Korra scratched her head.

"Yes?" She was unsure. "Early this morning I went back to the apartment and took samples to see if anything has traces of cyanide…I still can't find the delivery method. I'm going to go back in and examine further."

"Do you have anyone that can help?" Korra sat on the corner of her desk.

Jinora shook her head, "Raiko slashed my budget. The morgue here is outdated to say the least. Luckily I have the means to order the equipment myself," she smiled.

Korra patted her on the back. She loved the audacity of it. Raiko wasn't pleased to have to appoint a real coroner (it was one fewer prize position he could dole out), so of course he was fine undercutting the new one wherever he could. Yet, Jinora was finding ways around the twist system she had been pulled into; Korra couldn't help but be proud.

"I'm not a chemist," Jinora pushed her glasses up and rubbed her eyes. "I'm pushing the limits of the tests that we have…I honestly need help."

Hadn't Asami told her when they last had coffee that the new division she was heading up at Sato Industries was some sort of chemical applications division? Maybe she could help, or maybe she even knew someone who can lend a hand.

"I'll make a call," Korra's eyes flicked to Mako and shot him a reassuring look.

"I just need more time—"

"You need to go home and sleep," she motioned for Jinora to stand, and Mako helped her with her coat. "Go home, come back once you've rested."

Of course Korra cared about Jinora personally, but having the coroner, a key to this case, burn out and get herself ill wouldn't help anyone.

She and Mako grabbed lunch from a nearby street vendor headed back to the police station.

Nothing had progressed. They met with the officers who had been at the scene. They searched the Kaito's apartment from top to bottom and found no way for anyone to enter from the unit below. In their opinion, there was no possible way that any sort of forced entry resulted in the deaths of Ano and Honoka Kaito.

Meanwhile, Bo had failed to call them back. After placing numerous calls and sending Officer Wook and his partner back with no response, it became clear that they weren't able to squeeze anything else out of this rock of a day so they retreated to their conference room.

"Should we just call it a day?" Korra's feet were propped up on the conference room table, her eyes closed as she threw the file in her hands back towards Mako.

"Sure," he sighed heavily. "Did you still want to see Bolin tonight?"

"Why not?" She smiled, supposing it was never too late to see old friends. "How is this going to work?"

"How about you come over to my apartment? Then he'll probably want to go out."

Korra remembered the last time she had been to his place. She collected the small box of possessions and clothing that had lived in his closet for the last six months. She couldn't even meet his eyes she was so angry with him. Half of her was afraid if she did speak to him she could cave and fall back into his arms, and she was far too stubborn to allow that to happen.

"That's fine," she kept her voice nonchalant. "I'm going to go run some errands then. I'll see you later."

A genuine smile grew on his lips and a funny feeling of butterflies rose in her stomach. She thought she had been past this and far too old to feel excited at the prospect of anyone looking forward to seeing her.

Was this sort of socialization good for them? Only time would tell.

.

.

Korra was running late. Punctuality was something she always strove for, but time sometimes seemed to slip through her fingers like grains of sand flowing back to their place on the earth. Okay, so being on time wasn't her strength, but that didn't mean she couldn't hurry. With how much she hated lateness from others, knowing she would not be on time always ate at her. Only ten minutes later than she hurried up the stairs to Mako's apartment, trying to suppress unpleasant memories that she wasn't ready to grapple with.

She pushed through the door in his apartment without knocking.

"Korra!" Bolin jumped up from the couch and ran to her, sweeping her up into a tight hug.

She reciprocated without hesitation, "Hey!"

"We can go now!" He practically dragged Korra into the living room.

Mako and Asami sat on opposite couches. Despite all the time, it seemed as if nothing had changed. The flat was still sparsely decorated; Mako was such a workaholic he really only cooked and slept here. The coffee table still had the huge scrape in it from that one time that she smashed an empty bottle on it to prove to him that she was tough as nails that one time they were drunk together and then…

Korra shook the thought before it turned to the sort of memory that she ached for.

"What are we waiting for?" Bolin pulled Asami to her feet. "We need to get some dancing in!"

She couldn't help but feel underdressed as Bolin whisked them across the city in his new car. She was still in her work clothing, while Asami next to her in the back seat was clothed in a slim burgundy dress with a slit up one side that ran all the way up to her thigh.

The dress was certainly appropriate for the club that Bolin dragged them into. It was a new one with a huge stage at the back, the house big band rattled off jazz standards while the dancers took front and center in the dim light. From there, a large dance floor ringed by golden lights hosted a throng of bodies.

Bolin had a booth reserved right at the edge of the dance floor. His near-celebrity status from his rising boxing status brought them immediate bottle service from a woman in a form-fitting dress.

Korra relaxed back in her chair as she sipped at her drink. As tempting as it was to gulp down the spirit and allow it go to her head, something told her that the looseness she associated with drunkenness wouldn't be best for her this evening. She had to be on point to avoid slipping into the gravity well that was Mako in her life. It seemed to her that much of surviving (literally and figuratively) and solving this case would rely on her ability to maintain self-control.

It was hard to deny as she examined his profile in the dim light it was undeniable that she was attracted to him. Korra wasn't sure that the sharp lines of his jaw and the rest of his body ever stopped being pleasing to her eye; she simply couldn't let it get any farther than that if she was going to make it. Even admitting that to herself here was a hairline crack in her walls that could build into a much larger issue.

"Whoa," Bolin's eyes were trained on a girl whirling alone on the dance floor.

The woman was probably just a bit shorter than she was with razor-cut short hair. Her dress swirled around her knees as she spun gracefully as if she controlled the very air around her.

"She's gorgeous," Bolin sighed dreamily. "I need to dance with her."

"_Need_?" Mako quirked an eyebrow.

Bolin shot up from his chair, "She could be my soulmate!"

Korra's eyes followed him as he weaved through the crowd until he reached the woman. He pressed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand before drawing her body close to his and swaying to the slow ballad the band had begun to play.

"Soulmate?" Mako rolled his eyes.

Asami shrugged and took a sip of her drink, "You never know really."

"I don't believe it," Korra shrugged. "But you know Bolin, he connects with people really fast."

The idea that she was forged with another person in mind wasn't particularly appealing to her. Same with the subsequent idea that humans were incomplete, doomed to search for the person to fulfill them for the rest of their lives. She was positive she could find "completeness" alone.

"How's the chemical work going?" Korra asked Asami.

"It's…going…" Asami swirled her drink. "Not as much independence as I hoped."

A few more drinks and Asami would spill her guts about how upset she was that her father was CEO again and she wasn't. But Korra wasn't interested in dealing with the weepy, emotional drunk the woman sometimes became.

"Would you be interested in something on the side?" Korra knew she had piqued her interest. "We need some chem help at the Coroner's Office working with my friend, the new coroner. It's boundary-pushing stuff and a good opportunity—"

"I'm in."

"Hey guys," Mako put his drink down. "I hate to interrupt but are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Korra followed his gaze to the dance floor. A burly, tall man was standing over Bolin and he didn't look happy.

"Come on," she tapped Mako on the arm. "Let's go back up your brother."

"Back him up?" Asami took Korra's drink from her hand.

"The guy is going to fight Bolin over the girl," Mako took of his suit jacket and left it on the chair before rolling up his sleeves. "Korra, lead the way."

As the two got closer, she could hear Bolin arguing with the man. The dancers started to part and move away from the two, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire. Frankly, Korra felt bad for the guy; Bolin was smaller but as a trained boxer he packed a real wallop.

"I'm not his girl!" The woman Bolin was dancing with shouted over the music. "I never have been and don't plan on it…_ever_."

"We'll see about that," the guy threw a punch.

Bolin saw it coming. It was all so telegraphed. The way he angled his shoulders even before he moved his arm to initiate the sucker punch. He ducked the wild punch and shuffled so he was at the man's side and aligned his body so he was perpendicular with his assailant. He dropped his center of gravity and clinched him around the torso. From there all he had to do was extend his height and catch one of the man's feet to send him tumbling to the ground.

Korra watched a few more men step out from the crowd eager to fight. She pulled her badge, "Why don't we all just calm down?"

The fighter got to his feet, his pride wounded. "Yeah, well where were you five minutes ago?"

A smaller man tapped the fighter on the shoulder. The man's hair looked to be painstakingly coifed. His moustache was curled delicately at the ends and his suit screamed money.

"Why don't you get yourself a drink at the bar on me," he patted the guy's arm. "Anything you want. Tell 'em to put it on Varrick's tab."

"What are you doing here?" Asami approached the group, her arms crossed.

"What am _I _doing here?" He laughed. "I own the place! They say jazz clubs always return your investment especially with all the stuff that goes on in the back!" Varrick's gaze turned to the girl that Bolin had danced with and defended. "Well look who it is. Opal Beifong!"

Bolin froze, "Wait…Beifong…as in—"

"Yeah, that's me," Opal crossed her arms and glared at Varrick. "Can't a girl get a night out?"

"Every night is a night out," he wagged his finger at the group. "You two!" He exclaimed at Korra and Mako before overzealously shaking both of their hands. "The famed detectives of the Red Killer case! I hear you're working on that poisoner now. Care to give a guy the scoop?"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Mako's voice was steady.

Varrick shrugged, "Not like it matters. My assistant Zhu-Li _personally_ checks everything that I eat and drink now."

The man was positively erratic. Of course Korra had heard things, but she had never met him in person. Maybe it would have been better if she never had.

"You…" Varrick eyed Bolin up and down before shoving a business card into his hand. "Give me a call. I think I have a quite lucrative opportunity for you. Advertising is always looking for models. And Asami—"

"Future Industries isn't for sale," Asami snapped.

"I wasn't asking," he smirked. "I know you don't have that kind of power there anyway now…but that doesn't mean we can't talk business."

Asami shook her head, her face holding neutral but Korra could see the slightest tinges of hurt and anger behind her delicate façade.

"Well the world is always changing," Varrick handed a card to Korra, his tone of voice was difficult to detect fully. "I always find that it's best to be on the front end of change so the past doesn't bowl you over. Wouldn't want you…left behind."

As Korra stood there, card in hand, Mongkut's words on the Republic City Express came into her head again.

"_Change is coming."_

Korra couldn't help but wonder if this was a coincidence.


	6. Chapter 6 - Big Stuff

[ ] [AO3] [Chapter Master Post] [Soundtrack]

**Rating: **M (Violence and Smut)

**Chapter Word Count: **~3100

**Summary: **Over three years after the close of the Red Killer case, Korra and Mako are called upon to investigate a poisoner whose targets include the city's rich and powerful elite. But with three years worth of baggage between them, the duo's task will be their most difficult yet. [Sequel to _Rhapsody in Red_ and _Mystery on the Republic City Express_] Noir AU

**Author Note:** Chapter is dedicated to Staticwaffles for an amazing piece of art of Mako drawing this fic.

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**Chapter 6 – "Big Stuff"**

"_Let's have a try  
>It maybe that you're my guy<br>Let's take a ride on my gravy train  
>The door open wide<br>Come in from out of the rain"_

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"Detective Korra, are you listening?"

Korra snapped out of her deep train of thought. She and Mako met in the station early that morning after their night out. They didn't have much time at all to pour over their little bit of evidence before they were called into the chief's office.

She jerked her head up so that her eyes met Beifong's. "I uhhh…" she winced, "no I wasn't."

"I want both of you at the Founder's Gala and Dinner tomorrow evening," Lin reiterated. "I am not putting you on official security detail, but I want you to be able to keep an eye on things."

"Is there a threat?" Mako sat up a bit straighter.

Lin shook her head, "If there were, you can guarantee we would be all over it. But considering the boldness of your poisoner and the death of the DA…well, I'm concerned."

If the chief was concerned, they all had reason to be. As a leader, Lin Beifong was fully pragmatic. She wasn't one to bend to others to be scared by talk or threat. If she felt some sort of looming disaster on the horizon, Korra knew she wasn't being irrational. There seemed to be a wave building, slowly approaching the shore. As the depths grew shallower, the threat grew closer and closer to crashing over them. This poisoner wasn't fooling around and they weren't playing a game; they seemed utterly set on inflicting damage.

"Don't worry about uniform," Lin shuffled through some papers. "Show up and wear something nice and just mix with the guests. But wear something practical," she shot a pointed look at Korra.

"Hey, you know me," Korra smirked. "If something goes down the last thing I want to end up doing is running through Republic City in a gown."

"You're dismissed," Lin pointed to the door. "You ride the ass of this housewife who might have the address of the fake city workers. That's your primary lead."

"Yes, chief!" Mako and Korra made their way out.

The chief was right. The fact that Bo, the woman downstairs from the Kaito apartment hadn't gotten back in touch left her worried. Had something happened? Was that information so crucial that someone was interested in shutting her up in a very permanent way? Korra desperately hoped not. It would mean a door slammed shut in their face and the loss of their only real lead in this case that was barely giving them morsels to go off of.

"What do we want to do about the Kaito's neighbor?" Korra turned to Mako as they walked down the hall.

They walked slowly, forcing other officers to walk around them in the passageway. It was a busy area of the station, but Korra had more to worry about than causing a minor foot-traffic jam. She couldn't be sure if it was a challenging case or Mako (or perhaps a combination of both) that caused all the other distractions to fade from her awareness.

"We should check in on them again," Mako frowned. "But I think we'd better check on Jinora and Asami first. Since Asami headed right over there from the bar, they might have pulled an all-nighter."

After the conversation with Varrick at the bar, Asami placed a call to Jinora immediately at the payphone at the back of the establishment. Korra stood with her in the flickering dim light, her back against the rough, unfinished brick. Asami was the sort of person who, when stuff got her knocked off balance, dove into something else headfirst and without thinking. This wasn't so bad for their current case; a fully committed Asami could help them out immensely. However, this trait wasn't so great when she decided that to sell a controlling share of Future Industries to Varrick so that she could get a foot into the arms business on what seemed like a whim.

"Fair enough," Korra replied. "Let's get going then."

The duo grabbed their coats and headed down to Mako's car parked out back. If all they could do now was chase at morsels of evidence then that's what they had to do. Cases had a way of revealing themselves when it was time. Korra hated this; she preferred to relentlessly pursue and chase until she got the truth that she craved. Yet, mysteries always held on to their secrets longer than anyone would have liked.

Korra leaned against the window of Mako's car, relishing in the cooling sensation as he pulled out on the streets. She rolled down the window just a crack and reached for the in-car lighter. Her first drag off of the fresh cigarette brought her less relief that she had hoped.

"Do you feel it too?" She closed her eyes. "The feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"Well, that's why we're being proactive instead of dwelling on it," he kept his eyes on the road.

"I know that," she snapped. "Do you really call what we're doing here proactive? Right now all we can do is react!"

"Korra, calm down. It's the nature of investigation. You know better."

She huffed, trying to downplay how angry his condescending little line bit at her. She liked to think that he no longer really knew her, although it was clear he still understood her perfectly well. Regardless, Korra decided to do her best to sideline these emotions as she ducked out of the car and led the way into Bay View Hospital. She held her tongue as they hurried into the basement to the morgue.

The scene was different from what they had encountered on their last visit to the dark, dank cellar of the hospital. Asami and Jinora were huddled around a large set of chemistry apparatus. Glass beakers, flasks, and tubes swirled with unknown substances. Some bubbled and steamed while others changed hue before her eyes.

Jinora looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her face immediately lit up into a grin that defied the exhaustion she surely felt after another all-nighter. "Asami is a genius!"

"The doctor here is the genius," Asami asserted. "I've just added the extra resources she needed to get the final pieces of the puzzle."

"Final pieces?" Korra's heart began to race. "You've figured it out?"

"So I went back through the tissue samples," Jinora pulled out a file. "Asami was able to help me test and we know definitively that it is cyanide."

Mako crossed his arms, "Wasn't it the delivery method what you weren't sure of."

"Over here," she motioned to the bay of windows that looked over the closed area for medical examination.

Korra peered in and followed Jinora into the room. The heavy smell of formaldehyde made her nose wrinkle up and her stomach churn. Asami had to cover her nose with a handkerchief from her pocket. The bodies of Ano and Honoka Kaito were laid out on metal slabs, their bodies covered from the neck down by a pristine white sheet.

Jinora peeled back the covering just enough to expose a large incision down the centerline of Ano Katio's body. Asami's complexion turned to a light shade of green and excused herself quickly from the room; the woman never did have an iron constitution even for foul smells.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mako watched Asami leave the room.

"She's been queasy all night," Jinora shrugged. "Not everyone is great with dead bodies."

"Fair enough," he cringed as he watched Asami hunch over a trashcan through the set of windows. "Please go on."

"I didn't see any signs of cyanide in the digestive tract because neither of the Kaitos ate something with the poison in it. The delivery method was gas." Jinora revealed.

"You can die from cyanide inhalation…" Mako stroked his chin. "Makes sense I guess, but it's not really my area of expertise."

"The apartment downstairs was fumigated…" Korra locked eyes with Mako. "They probably had all the equipment needed to pump this gas up into the unit above. The poisoners didn't even need to get near the Kaitos or alert them all."

She could see that he shared her concern. This planning…it was well thought through. They were dealing with professionals that had very specific targets in mind. Now she knew they were organized and determined, but that still made their potential for damage positively limitless.

"We need to find that work crew," Korra gave Jinora a nod of approval and hoped that the young doctor understood the depth of her gratitude.

"Come on, let's go," Mako secured his fedora back on with a hand.

The pair jogged upstairs and raced across the city. Mako pulled the red and blue light out of the glove box and stuck it to the roof. A flick of the car's siren had all the traffic in the city parting before them as they rushed to the Upper East Side.

Korra had a bad feeling about all of this. There was no reason that Bo, the downstairs neighbor, shouldn't have called them back with the work order that her husband had at work. That was, unless something had happened. Had the poisoners realized that they had left a critical piece of evidence and returned to wipe out further evidence of a trail? She desperately hoped not, or else they would once again be waiting for another high profile murder before they could pick up the scent.

"You were right," Mako's eyes continually scanned the avenue in front as to navigate through carefully. "About the being reactive thing. I don't like it either."

"But you were right too," she tapped her fingers against her knee impatiently. "We're doing everything that we can."

"That isn't always enough."

"It has to be."

Or Korra had no doubt that they would have more that a couple of bodies to add to the small pile already. It was hard to avoid feeling responsible for every killing they couldn't stop. Then again, they weren't the ones doings the killing, but such rational thoughts didn't often come when one was in the throes of mourning a life you might have been able to save.

Mako hastily parked in the fire lane in front of the Kaito's former apartment building. A few reporters rushed over having stationed themselves on the stoop of the upscale residence. Without hesitation they flung questions in their direction in desperate hope that one of them would utter something to quote for their next broadcast or column.

"Do you have any concrete leads on the killer of the DA?"

No comment on that one.

"Was this a result of a personal vendetta? Was Mrs. Kaito having an affair?"

Korra honestly wondered where some of these pulp reporters came up with this sort of thing.

"What was the cause of death?"

Now this was one that they were holding back. Citing that the cause of death was pertinent to the further course of the investigation (and extra motivation to prevent copy cat killers) the official report held back such details. The lack of information only made the reporters more ravenous for even just tiny morsels of information to sink their teeth into. Keeping the public's attention meant that they needed a constant feed of new things, true or false. When the fountain ran dry, the public's attention would turn away. Korra could only hope that they could mop this up before the papers had something big to talk about for weeks.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, the doorman shut the door.

"Sorry about that," the young man rubbed the back of his neck. "They're here all night now."

"Hopefully this won't last much longer," Mako turned. "Do you know if the resident in apartment 502 has been around? Bo is her name."

"Like clockwork. Just came back from grocery shopping. I helped her with her bags."

Korra let loose a sigh of relief that her worst fears hadn't been realized.

Their shoes clicked as they walked across the granite floor of the lobby and strode into the caged elevator and punched the button for the fifth floor. Korra rushed out in front of Mako and knocked on the door, her heart pounding in her chest.

The door opened a scant second later, "Oh hello, detectives!"

"Evening, ma'am," Mako tipped his hat. "I didn't get a call from you regarding that work crew."

"Oh my, I forgot! Please come in!" Bo ushered them inside.

The apartment was smaller than the Kaitos' but well decorated in a color scheme of green, crème, and black. Korra couldn't help but notice that most of the furniture pieces were restored antiques of dark wood; it looked more like the type of sitting room that one did more admiring visually than actually _living_ in.

"I didn't know this all was so important," Bo shuffled through some papers on a nearby side table. "I certainly would have gotten back with you sooner."

Korra held back anger, "It's very important. It's about the Kaitos' upstairs."

"Of course," Bo's cheerful personality seemed impossible to dampen as she handed over the work order. "That's all I have. I hope it helps you two!"

"Thank you," Mako quickly excused them out into the hall.

"This thing looks real," Korra examined the yellow carbon-copied form.

It really would have fooled her had she not already known it was a fake. The handwriting of the reason and time of the fumigation was written neatly and with care. The work was done by some company called "Apartment Infestation Solutions" and had a brief description of the fictitious rat infestation. At the bottom of the page was what she really needed.

"Bingo!" Korra poked the paper, "We have an address!"

"Financial District?" Mako looked at the street listed.

"Looks like it," she grabbed him by the arm, choosing to forget professionalism in her excitement. "We've got a lead."

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"They could have put down a random address," Mako looked up at the ten-story building.

Pedestrians passed them on either side of the densely packed sidewalk. They caught a few irritated glances from people about their business who thought that two people stopped in their walking path was a major inconvenience.

Korra led the way up to the door. Mako could very well be right. But this was all they had and no one could blame her for desperately clinging to it.

The lobby was dimly lit. The building didn't look as if it were fully occupied, the reception desk empty and covered with a sheet of dust. Korra spotted the elevator off to the right and pulled the work order from her pocket again.

"Says Suite 723," she pressed the piece of evidence back into her jacket.

Mako pressed the button for floor seven in the elevator. The machine creaked to life and slowly pulled them upward towards their destination. Mako checked his firearm under his coat and Korra did the same. There were no guarantees. It could be a bust or a grand slam, but it could also turn into a dangerous situation fast.

The elevator dinged dissonantly when they reached the seventh floor. The pair wandered down the quiet corridor. It was plain, blank office space. Korra couldn't think of any feature that distinguished one door from another apart from the unit number plaque of tarnished brass. The suite numbers slowly rose until at last they reached 723.

Korra gave Mako a quick nod of approval.

"Republic City Police," he knocked on the door strongly, the sound of his hand against wood echoed down the empty hallway. "Open up."

There was no answer. Not even a sound came from behind the door.

"Let me try," she elbowed Mako aside. "Police! Open up!"

She couldn't let the trail end here. They couldn't just walk away from this!

Korra huffed and took a step back. "If anyone asks, it was open."

Before Mako could open his mouth to protest, Korra drove her foot into the door. The thing swung open with a sharp crack so hard that it slammed against the wall with a dull thud.

"Korra!"

She ignored his admonishing tone and peered inside.

The room was empty, save three makeshift bedrolls in the far left corner of the room near the window. Korra walked over carefully, noting the quick fire escape access from the room. There was nothing. Not a personal item, not a scrap of paper. She rooted under the blankets to find an insulating layer of old newspapers. Nothing!

"Fuck!" She clenched her fists. "This could have been something big!"

"Hey!" Mako took her by the shoulders and spun her around so they were face to face. "We know there were three people here. That's something."

"But…Mako, come on—"

"It's what we've got," he have her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "It means we're on the right track after all."

She found her gaze getting lost in his eyes. He was so determined to calm her down she couldn't help but nod and take a deep breath. God, she wanted to hug him and tuck her head under his chin. It would be all too easy to fall into him. But she couldn't afford that: not now, not again after everything. Instead, she took a hasty step back and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"Let's get out of here," she sighed.

Korra still couldn't help but feel as if they were back at square one. But with the Founder's Gala coming up the next night, she had the mundane concern of figuring out what she would wear. Mundane was good now. Mundane would keep her busy until they could move forward.

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**Author Note: **One of the weaker chapters, but things have been a bit weird for me mentally/emotionally. If you're reading on Tumblr and want a message alert when a chapter is posted shoot me an ask. Things really kick off next chapter and I'm very excited to share it with you!


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